In his three years at Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Anirudh Sharma emceed for a lark. It all started when, during free periods, he’d entertain friends at the canteen with mimicry and other fun acts. Soon, he was in demand for fresher’s parties and other college dos. Today, Anirudh is a sought-after name, one of the fast rising emcee stars in town.
Breeding ground
College days are about fun and games, true. It’s also a time when the celebs of tomorrow are born. Anirudh’s, for instance, isn’t a one-off success story. Says Nitin Arora, one of Delhi’s most popular emcees: “I started compering in school and then in college. I used to entertain friends, imitating Shah Rukh Khan. That got me my first major show at NIFT, and then there was no looking back. Even after I graduated from Sri Venkateswara College, they call me back to host in-house shows.”
On song, on a roll
And it’s not about emcees alone. Indipopper Shibani Kashyap recalls how she cut her first album while in Lady Sriram College. “I owe everything to my college years,” she says. “That was my learning ground. I didn’t miss even a single college fest and that gave me a lot of exposure. In one such fest, noted music producer Julius Packiam noticed me and gave me a break in a jingle.”
In fact, the band Parikrama was formed in Kirori Mal College and today they are instrumental in giving the Indian rock scene an identity. Similarly, ex-Channel [V] veejay Gaurav Kapoor too thanks his Venky days. “I learnt a lot about hosting shows while in college,” he says. “I was anyway doing radio and was featured in a campus-based MTV show, Campus Champ. The show director went on to become a creative director of Channel [V], and it became easy for me. College gives you room for informal exposure and that helps,” he concludes.
{{/usCountry}}In fact, the band Parikrama was formed in Kirori Mal College and today they are instrumental in giving the Indian rock scene an identity. Similarly, ex-Channel [V] veejay Gaurav Kapoor too thanks his Venky days. “I learnt a lot about hosting shows while in college,” he says. “I was anyway doing radio and was featured in a campus-based MTV show, Campus Champ. The show director went on to become a creative director of Channel [V], and it became easy for me. College gives you room for informal exposure and that helps,” he concludes.
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